In many network configurations there exists a desire to capture data from one or more computing devices within that network. More specifically, many network configurations can include Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communications. In such a configuration, users may communicate via a VoIP telephone, a softphone, and/or other communications devices. While users of the communications devices may send and receive audio data, depending on the particular configuration, the users may also desire to send other types of data in the form of text files, pictures, video files, audio files, etc. Additionally, while the users of communications devices may desire to send and receive the various types of data, the users, system administrators, and others may also desire to record at least a portion of the data being communicated. Additionally, these parties may also desire the ability to record other data presented to a user of a communications and/or computing device.
Additionally, in highly distributed branch networks, telephony connections can be centralized via a small number of “hub” sites or can be distributed to many or all of the “leaf” nodes of the network. The latter approach may be used for high street or retail operations where each location has a few telephone circuits from its local central office terminating on equipment at that site. There is therefore an increasing desire to provide recording systems in communications and/or data networks that are well suited to all the supported topologies. The challenge in recording data in such networks that are distributed across multiple branches is that much of the data traffic carried is entirely local to that branch. The audio packets associated with the communication do not generally leave the branch. Additionally, it is generally not desirable for the audio packets to leave the branch because there is often only limited bandwidth between the branch and corporate headquarters/data center.
Many existing IP recording solutions can require a recording device to be located at each branch so as to tap into the data at that branch. Where the number of branches is large, this becomes very expensive. When the total number of calls to be recorded is low, such a network configuration can become uneconomic, as the costs of the hardware and related support are spread across only a few recordings per day.
Additionally, using existing IP conferencing/service-observe type solutions in which conference bridges are located at the central site generally requires that the audio data be “tromboned” from the receiving site to the conference bridge and back again. In this approach, two legs of a 3-way conference (caller, agent, and recorder port) will generally be transmitted between the branch site and the central equipment. In addition to using scarce bandwidth over this link, such a configuration can use expensive resources at the central site and can impact the quality of the communication.